Multiple fuse plug



'Dec. 29, 1925.- 1,567,187

C. LAY

MULTIPLE FUSE PLUG Fild 001;. 21, 1924 WITNESSES W 1 ENTOR ATTORNEY Patented 29, 1925.

emtns LAY, or sen" ANTONIO, 'rnxas.

MULTIPLE FUSE PLUG.

Application filed October 21, 1924. Serial No. 744,985

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES LAY, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Multiple Fuse Plugs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in fuse plugs and has for its object to provide a plug having a fuse magazine carrying a plurality of fuses, the magazine being rotatable to bring the fuses successively into use as the fuses are burnt out.

A further object of the invention is to provide a plug having a rotatable fuse magazine carrying a plurality of fuses; compression means for holding the magazine and plug firmly together and ratchet means for controlling the breaking and making of the connection between the fuses and contact member of the lug. v

A further object of the invention is to provide a plug having a plurality of fuses, stamped from a single plate removably fitted in a rotatable fuse magazine forming a part of the plug.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned character which is simple and durable in construction, reliable and efficient in use and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparentduring the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which hke numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same;-

I'Fig. 1 is a side elevation of my improved P Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same,

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on lines 3-3 of Fig. 2, and,

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the fuse plate.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 denotes a body, .formed of insulating material, having a central aperture/6 and an outer contact shell 7, threaded to fit a socket.

A pin 8 is mounted in the central aperture 6' having a contact head 9 at its lower endand screw threads 10 at its upper end. A fuse ma azine 11, formed of insulating material, having a central aperture 12 is rotatably mounted on the upper end of the pin 8. The

upper face of the body is slightly inclined towards the center, as at 13, and is formed with a series of ratchet teeth 14 arranged circumferentially around the face. The ratchet teeth 14.- engage the correspondingly arranged ratchet teeth 15 formed on the base of the magazine which is slightly tapered to fit the face of the body. The top of the magazine 11 is recessed, as at 16, to receive the pressure plate 17 and knob 18 which is threaded onthe upper end of the pin 8. The knob is provided with a central recess 19 to receive the compression spring 20 mounted on the pin 8 and bearing against the pressure plate 17, holding the magazine in firm contact with the body.

A circular plate 21 having a central aperture 22 is mounted on the stem 8 and seated in the bottom of the recess 16. A. plurality of fuse members 23 are bent at right angles to the plate and extend through longitudinal slots 24 in the magazine, the free extremities of the members being bent over the ratchet teeth 15 at their base, to provide contact points 25. A contact member 26 is carried by one of the ratchet teeth 14 of the body which is connected with the contact shell 7. When the fuse members burn out, the magazine is rotated until the next fuse member is brought into contact with the contact member 26, it being observed that upon rotation of the magazine the ratchet teeth will cause the magazine to be raised upwardly breaking the connection until the next tooth is snapped into position by the compression spring bearing against the pressure plate. The peripheral edge of the magazine is provided with a series of indentations 27, to facilitate gripping the magazine when turning the same.

As more clearly shown in Fig. 4, the fuse members 23 are stamped from a plate 21 which has a ratchet shaped edge having incisions 28 extending from the innermost points of the ratchets parallel to and for a distance e ual to thelength of the outer edge of the rate ets. This provides a plurality of strips forming fuse members which are bent downwardly at right angles to the plate on the lines 29 being arranged in circular fashion for insertion in the slots in the ma azine, the free extremities'of the strips being bent along the lines 30 after insertion in the slots, to he fiat against the ratchet teeth.

In use, the plug is screwed into the socket of an electrical circuit and should the circuit become overloaded causing the fuse member in the circuit to burn out, it is only necessary to turn the fuse magazine, thus bringing the next fuse in place to complete the circuit. The fuse members are-formed separately of the ma azine, so the latter may be easily refilled wit a new supply of fuses when necessary. The body of the plug and magazine are connected together by ratchet teeth held firmly together by a compression spring, limiting the turning of the magazine in one direction. The ratchet teeth cause the magazine to be raised when turned, thereby o eningthe circuit until the next fuse member is snapped into place. This provides a compact multiple fuse plug which is simple to operate and safe to use.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that certain changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims. 1

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A fuse plug comprising a body of insulating material having its upper face concaved, ratchet teeth formed around the marginal edge of the concaved face, an outer contact shell threaded to fit a socket, a contact point mounted on one of said teeth having connection with said shell, a contact pin extending axially through said body, a fuse magazine rotatably mounted on the upper end of said pin having its base tapered to fit the concaved face of said body, ratchet teeth formed around the marginal edge of said base. adapted to cooperate with the corresponding teeth of said body,. a recess in the upper face of said magazine, a fuse plate mounted on said pin and seated in said reccss having a plurality of fuse members extending through said magazine the free extremities of which are bent at right angles over the ratchet teeth of said magazine, a pressure disk bearing against said fuse plate. a knob threadedly mounted on the end of said contact pin, and a compression spring seated in a recess formed in said knob bearing against said pressure plate, whereby the fuse magazineand body are held firmly together. A

2. A. fuse plug comprising a body of insulating material having its upper face concaved, ratchet teeth formed around the marginal edge of the concaved face, an outer contact shell, a contact point mounted on one of the teeth of said ratchet having connection with said shell, a contact pin extendin axially through said body, a fuse magazlne rotatably mounted on the upper end of said pin having its base tapered to fit the concaved face of said body, ratchet teeth formed around the marginal edge of said base, adapted to cooperate with the corresponding teeth of said body, fusible elements carried by said magazine having their contact ends seated on the ratchet teeth of said magazine, said fusible elements having connection with said contact pin, and spring means mounted on the end of said pin holging the magazine and body firmly toget er.

3. A fuse plug comprising a body of insulating material, ratchet teeth formed around the marginal edge of the upper face of said body, an outer shell, a contact point mounted on one of said ratchet teeth, having connection with said shell, a contact pin extending axially through said body, a fuse magazine rotatably mounted on said pin, ratchet teeth formed around the marginal edge of the base of said magazine. adapted to cooperate with the ratchet teeth of said body, a fuse plate mounted on said pin having a plurality of fuse members bent therefrom, adapted to extend through slots in said magazine. disposed radially of the axis thereof, the free ends of said members being bent at right angles over the face of the teeth of the magazine. at the base thereof. and spring means for holding said magazine and body together. I

4:. In combination with a refillable fuse plug, a circular fuse plate having a ratchet edge. said ratchets having incisions extending from the innermost points thereof, parallel to and for a distance equal to the length of the outer edge of the ratchets, providing a series of fusible members adapted to be bent at right angles to said plate.

In testimony whereof I atlix my signature.

CHARLES LAY. 

